Hunting Day

The wolves' howls echoed through the forest, loud, cold-blooded, and spine-chilling.

The five men, who had been about to find a spot to build a fire and warm themselves, all turned toward the hillside. Beneath the round moonlight, a figure was throwing its head back and howling.

Their already taut nerves tightened further, but what met their eyes was merely an enormous wolf, wild to the bone.

Moonlight spilled over the wolf's body, painting it silver-white with a faint violet cast. Its dim green eyes radiated razor-sharp hostility.

"Boss, it's a giant wolf. How could there be such a huge wolf?"

"Quiet. It doesn't seem to want to attack us. Light the fire, quickly! As long as we have fire, that wolf won't dare come near!"

The lead martial artist appeared calm, but the movement of his throat and the way his toes pointed in the opposite direction exposed the fear in his heart.

With a hiss, a cluster of flames slowly began to burn, and only then did the terror in their hearts ease slightly.

Yet when they looked back toward the hillside, the wolf was still standing beneath the moonlight, not moving an inch, as though it were continuously drawing in the moon's essence.

Duan Xuan, who had been watching the martial artists' movements from the slope to the side, was stunned by the massive wild wolf as well.

Having hunted wild game since childhood, he dared say that he had never seen prey as enormous as this wolf.

Its agile, powerful body, claws the size of a human head, sharp fangs, and those dark green eyes that shimmered with blood-red light all told Duan Xuan one thing.

This wolf was absolutely no ordinary beast.

"Could my first howl have drawn it here?" When he had gone hunting with his father as a child, Duan Jian had often taught Duan Xuan the ways of the hunt.

One rule was that when pursuing prey, one must never strike lightly without absolute certainty.

One had to keep frightening the prey, compressing its space to survive, driving it into excessive panic and making it waste its strength. Only when it collapsed from exhaustion would it be easy to make a move.

Duan Xuan had followed that principle all along the way.

Using rocks and other objects to make noises, he had kept these men's hearts uneasy.

Whenever they became distracted and relaxed again, he would imitate a wolf's howl once or twice, forcing them to slow down.

But he had never expected to draw an uninvited guest.

Unable to do anything else, Duan Xuan had to temporarily abandon his plan to kill the group of martial artists under cover of night.

He did not know what level that wild wolf was at, nor what it would do after smelling blood.

Duan Xuan did not act rashly. The three sides remained locked in a standoff until the following morning, when the wolf chased after the rising sun and strode out of everyone's sight.

Only then did everyone let out a breath.

"Boss, you've seen a lot. Do you know where that wolf came from?"

Duan Xuan pricked up his ears in the distance and listened in secret.

"Back then, one of the academy's old seniors mentioned that these deep mountains contain all kinds of strange and uncanny creatures. That wolf was enormous and even knew how to absorb the essence of heaven and earth. It should be one of the legendary demon beasts!"

"A demon beast?" Those two words lingered in everyone's minds. Of course they had heard of them, but they had never seen one. It all sounded far too fantastical.

"Don't think I'm spouting nonsense. Demon beasts are extremely valuable and are great tonics.

"They can rapidly replenish a martial artist's blood and vitality, temper their sinews and bones, and hone their physique and flesh.

"Our family head once obtained half a demon beast's corpse and had the eldest young master, second young master, and third young master divide it among themselves.

"Overnight, all three broke through to Mingjin. Their skin became as hard as blades and spears, indestructible.

"Even their cultivation speed far surpassed what it had been before!"

The others listened as though shrouded in clouds and mist; the more they heard, the more outlandish it sounded. Yet they could hardly go ask the master to verify it, so they could only assume their boss was bragging.

Duan Xuan, however, was inwardly shaken.

He neither doubted it nor rashly believed it. But in this world centered on martial arts, nothing was impossible.

People often divided martial arts realms into three major thresholds and three major realms. But what came beyond Huajin?

Could Huajin truly be the limit for martial artists?

Clearly not!

Just as he was about to make his move, the sound of horses came from afar.

"Elder Zhang, you're finally here. We've already..." The leader of the five men saw the rider and immediately stepped forward with clasped hands, bowing deeply.

Yet the old man on horseback only snorted coldly. "Foolish trash. You were being followed and did not even know it. Boy, come out!"

The old man and the two youths behind him looked toward Duan Xuan at the same time. Without hesitation, Duan Xuan blew his whistling arrow.

However, the whistling arrow was not aimed at the three riders, but at the leader of the five thugs.

In an instant, the Mingjin martial artist's forehead was pierced through.

From beginning to end, the old man on horseback had shown no intention of blocking the attack for him. Instead, he stared coldly at the hole in the man's forehead and the sleeve arrow, then said viciously, "This is the brat who killed our sentry outside Mountain-Breaking Stance Martial Academy. Capture him!"

The moment he spoke, the four Mingjin martial artists did not dare delay. They did not even dare spare another glance for their own boss's corpse, for they knew Elder Zhang's strength even better.

He was a veteran Anjin martial artist who had one foot across the threshold of Huajin. Already in his forties or fifties, he had yet to break through Anjin, yet there was still no sign of decline in his blood and vitality.

Back in the Fourth Branch compound, he had been ruthless and merciless. Any consecrated martial artist under him who overstepped even slightly would face extremely severe punishment.

"Elder Zhang, that brat is rather clever. He actually knows to run along the hillside. Our horses can't get up there."

"Hmph! Young Master Huang, are you underestimating this old man's strength? Horses may not be able to climb such a slope, and even people would struggle to crawl up it, but simply follow me!"

"Third Brother, that seems to be the hunting ground selected for this year's martial examination. If we barge in without applying first, wouldn't that..."

Zhang Zhuanghe sneered mercilessly again. "If the two young masters of the Wang family cannot muster the courage to pursue my young lady, then please return.

"But let me remind you: the Fourth Branch's young lady is on this mountain. Capture her alive, and you will be qualified to marry into the Wang family, freeing yourselves from the awkward position of being collateral members in the Huang Family.

"Life is short, and opportunities are rare. Consider it carefully yourselves!

"Hyah!"

Zhang Zhuanghe spurred his horse onward. The two young masters of the Huang Family exchanged a glance, clamped their legs around their horses' bellies, and followed.

Martial examination grounds.

The two-day strength competition had come to an end. What followed was a three-day hunting contest.

"Do you two junior brothers have any experience with hunting?" Chen Jingyun asked.

Liu Mingze lowered his head to look at his refined and quiet senior sister, then laughed loudly. "The capable can do anything; every trade is within their reach."

Lin Hu said boredly, "In the blood-and-vitality competition, we easily crushed those worthless scraps from Scale Python Martial Academy. Hunting will be no challenge either. If only my mud-legged Senior Brother Duan were here—I'd show him what real hunting looks like!"

"Check your weapons. Don't let anyone tamper with them, only to regret it once you're in the field." Chen Jingyun did not respond to him. Instead, she instructed the remaining Anjin disciples present.

In the first round, the lifting test had five ranks. Only martial artists who reached the first, second, or third rank had the greatest chance of advancing.

Thus, after two days, more than half of the Mingjin martial artists had been eliminated. Broken Mountain Martial Arts Hall had only five people remaining.

"No problems here, Senior Sister. We can set out!"

"Good. Into the mountains. Try not to split up along the way. In this contest, it is not only wild beasts we need to watch out for, but people as well!"

"Everyone..." Before the Chen Jingshu sisters could finish speaking, Lin Hu and Liu Mingze had already run off in different directions.

"Hey, where are you two going? Hey..."